Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-10-15
JESS.
by H.RlpER HAceAEp.
Futh'T't 'Nns solonsotSa Sau9es Skcfle

and she could find it In her to wish that she was
lying somewhere beneath those rushing wa
ters She had calculated on death, and now
she was not dead, and she and her shame and
her trouble might yet live for many year.
She was like one who in her sleep had seemed
to soar on angels wings cut into the airy
depths, and then awakened with start to
find that she had tumbled from her bed. All
the heroic scale, all the more than earthly
depth of passion, all the spiritualized desires
that had sprung into being beneath the
shadow of the approaching end, had come
down to the common level of an undesirable
attachment, along which she must now
drag her weary feet for many year. Nor
was that ALL She had been false to Bessie,
and more, she had broken Bessie's lovers
troth She had tempted him and he had
fallen, and now he was as bad as she. Death
would have justified all this; she would never
have done it had she thought she was going
to live; but now death had cheated her, as he
has way Of doing with people to whom his
presence is more or less desirable, and left her
to cope with the spirit she had invoked when
his sword was quivering over her.
What would be the end of 1t, supposing
they escaped What could be tho end ex-
cept miserya 1t should go no further, far as
it had gone, that she swore; no, not il It
broke her heart and his, too. The conditions
were altered again, and the memory Of those
dreadful and wonderful hours when they two
swung upon the raging river and exchanged
their undying troth, with the grave for their
altar, must be memory and nothing more.
She rose and walked back to the spot where
she had left John an hour before. He was
employed when she reached him in saddling
fba IS>S fho Sxxyifh tho
dies and brides that he had removed from
the carcasses of the horses which the light
ming had destroyed.
"Hullo, jess. you look quite smart. Have
you dried your clothes2" he said. u have
after a fashion"
"Yes," she answered.
He looked at her "Why, dearest, you
have been crying. Come, things are black
enough, but it is no use crying. At any rate,
we have got off with our lives so far"
"John," said Jess, sharply, "there must be
no more of that Things have changed. We
were dead last night; now we have come to
life again. Besides" see added, with ghost
of a laugh, perhaps you will see Bessie to-
morrow. should Thank we ought to have
got to the end of our misfortunes
Johns face fell, as the recollection of the
impossible and most tragic position in which
they were placed, physically and morally,
swept into his mind.
"My dearest JESS" he said, "what Is to be
donel"
She stamped her foot, in the bitter anguish
of her heart. a told you," she said, "that
there must be no more of that. What are
you thinking abouts From to-day we are
dead to each other / have done with you
and you with me. 1t is your own fault; you
should have let me die. Oh, John, john"
she walled out. "wby did you not let me diet
Why did we not both diet We should have
been happy now, or-asleep. We must part,
John, we must part; and what shall do
without you? what shall oop
Her distress was very poignant, and it
affected him so much for a moment he could
not trust himself to answer her.
"Would it not be best to make clean breast
of it to Bessie?" he said at last. VI should feel
a blackguard for the rest of my life, but upon
my word have a mind to do it.
"No, moi" she cried passionately, II will not
have you do it! You shall swear to me that
YOU will never breathe a word to Bessie. l
will not have her happiness destroyed We
have sinned, we must suffer; not Bessie, who
is innocent and only takes her right. Iprom-
ised my dear mother to look after. Bessie and
protect her, and will not be the one to betray
her-never! never! You must marry her and
must go away There Is no other way out
OF it."
John looked at her, not knowing what to
say or do. A sharp pang of despair went
through him as he watched the passionate,
pale face and the great eyes dim with tears.
How was he to part from hera He put out
his arms to take her in them, but she pushed
him away almost fiercely.
"Have YOU no honorl" she cried. "Is it not
all hard enough to bear without your tempt
ing met tell you it is all done with. Finish
saddling that horse and let us start. The
sooner We get Off the sooner it will be over,
unless the Beers catch US again and shoot us,
which for my own part devoutly hope they
may. You must make up your mind to re-
member that am nothing but your sister in
law. II you will not remember 1t, then
shall ride away and leave you to go your
way and ! will 60 mine"
John said no more. Her determination
was as crushing as the cruel necessity that
dictated it. What was more, his own reason
and sense Of honor approved of it, whatever
his passion might prompt to the contrary.
AS he turned wearily to finish saddling the
horse he almost regretted with Jess that they
had not both been drowned and got it over.
OF course the only saddles that they had
were those belonging to the dead Beers,
which was very awkward for lady Luck
lily for herself, however, jess could, from
constant practice, ride almost as well as
though she had been trained to the ring, and
was even capable of balancing herself with
out a pommel on mans saddle, having
often and often ridden round the farm in
that way. So soon as the horses were ready
she astonished John by clambering into the
saddle of the older and steadier animal, plac-
ing her foot in the stirrup strap and announc-
ing that she was ready to start.
"You had better ride some other way"
said John. at isn't usual, know, but you
will tumble off,"
"You shall see," she said, with little
laugh, putting the horse into a canter as she
spoke. John followed her on the other horse,
and noted with amazement that she sat as
STRAIGHT and steady on her slipDery seat as